Steelers' Defense Preparing For A Healthy Lamar Jackson In Week 14

The Pittsburgh Steelers will hit the road for a huge AFC North battle against the Baltimore Ravens on Sunday with first place in the division on the line. While both teams know each other like family at this point, there’s still plenty of mystery surrounding this matchup, mostly because no one is entirely sure how healthy Lamar Jackson will be when he steps on the field. Jackson wasn’t a full participant in practice all week until Friday, and the Steelers are preparing as if the former MVP will be at full speed.

Jackson has been dealing with an ankle injury following Baltimore’s Week 13 loss to the Cincinnati Bengals on Thanksgiving night. It’s been one of the biggest storylines regarding this weekend's matchup, mainly because the Ravens with Jackson and the Ravens without Jackson are almost two completely different teams. Earlier this season, Jackson missed three games with a hamstring injury, and Baltimore went 1-2 during that stretch. It was a dreadful three weeks for Ravens fans, and it’s a big reason why they found themselves sitting at 1-5 and looking nothing like a playoff contender.

The moment Jackson returned, everything changed. The Ravens have ripped off a 4-1 stretch since he came back, and even though he clearly hasn’t been 100% every week, he’s still been good enough to pull the team out of the basement and back into the fight for the division. If Jackson can't go against the Steelers on Sunday since his game designation is still unspecified, they will likely turn to Tyler Huntley, but the Pittsburgh defense is preparing for #8 to trot onto the field at M&T Bank Stadium.

While speaking to the media on Friday, linebacker TJ Watt talked about the mindset the defense has carried throughout the week.

"We're approaching him like he's Lamar that we've known this whole time," Watt said. "The guy is dynamic, he has a dynamic runner next to him, he has dynamic playmakers, they have a stout offensive line, and he's playing really good football."

Watt has seen enough of Jackson over the years to know that even a limited Jackson can wreck a game. Rather he is extending plays or taking off on a designed run, Jackson's speed has been his strong suit since he entered the league in 2018. 

Even when he’s not running, the threat of him running changes the way a defense has to line up. The Steelers won't be able to sell-out for the run with the threat of Jackson finding his playmaking pass catchers downfield.

Steelers Have Had Jackson's Number Throughout His Career

Jackson is 3-4 in his career against the Steelers, and his stats haven’t exactly jumped off the page when facing Pittsburgh’s defense. In seven starts against the Black and Gold, he’s thrown 10 touchdowns and nine interceptions, and there have been games where the Steelers have clearly had his number. They’ve frustrated him with pressure, forced him into bad throws, and kept him contained long enough to grind out wins. For a while, it felt like Pittsburgh had a formula against him.

However, even with the rough numbers, Jackson got the last laugh in 2024. The Steelers went 1-2 against the Ravens last season, including that postseason matchup in the Wild Card Round when Pittsburgh’s defense was gashed for almost 300 rushing yards on the ground. 

Regardless if Jackson plays or not on Sunday, it is arguably the biggest game of the season thus far for Pittsburgh. If the Steelers want any chance at making the postseason, they'll have to find a way to win in a hostile environment whether it's against Jackson or Huntley.

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